Video processing device, video processing system, and video processing method

Abstract

A video processing device includes: an object detector configured to detect an object included in a video so that a type of the object can be identified; an event detector configured to detect a focusing event which occurs to the detected object; a masking target setter configured to simultaneously set all objects of a selected type as masking targets, and to exclude from the masking targets, one or more objects to which occurrence of the selected focusing event has been detected by the event detector; and a masking process controller configured to generate a masking-processed video in which each video area which corresponds to the object set as the masking target by the masking target setter, has been changed to a masking image.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A video processing device for identifying an object from a video of a surveillance target area and performing masking operations based on inputs provided by a user, the video processing device comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a memory including a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations, the operations including:
 detecting an object included in the video in such a manner that a type of the object is identifiable; 
 detecting a focusing event which occurs to the object detected by the processor; 
 
 in response to a first input operation of the user for selecting the type of the object as a masking condition, simultaneously setting all objects of the selected type as masking targets, 
 in response to a second input operation of the user for selecting the focusing event as an unmasking condition, excluding, from the masking targets, one or more objects to which occurrence of the selected focusing event has been detected by the processor; and
 generating a masking-processed video in which each video area which corresponds to one of the objects, which is set as one of the masking targets and which is not excluded from the masking targets, has been changed to a masking image. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The video processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured such that, in response to the a third input operation of the user for selecting a background as the masking condition, the processor sets a background area where no object is detected as a masking target. 
     
     
       3. The video processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured such that, when all types of the objects and the a background are set as the masking targets in response to the a third input operation of the user for selecting all the types of the objects and the background, the processor performs an operation for reducing object-identifiability on all video areas other than the objects to which occurrence of the selected focusing event has been detected. 
     
     
       4. The video processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured such that, when persons or vehicles are selected as types of objects to be set as the masking condition, the processor enables the user to select the focusing event to be set as the unmasking condition. 
     
     
       5. The video processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the masking image is a label image with characters representing a generic name of a corresponding one of the objects. 
     
     
       6. The video processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the masking image is an avatar image which imitates a person. 
     
     
       7. The video processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured such that;
 in response to a third input operation of the user for individually designating an object to be a masking target, the processor sets the designated object as the masking target; and 
 in response to a fourth input operation of the user for individually designating an object to be excluded from the masking targets, the processor excludes the designated object from the masking targets. 
 
     
     
       8. The video processing device according to  claim 7 , the operations further including:
 generating a thumbnail image for each object; and 
 displaying an edit screen on a display, 
 wherein the edit screen includes a list of selection controls in which, for each object, a selection control is arranged side by side with a corresponding thumbnails image, wherein each of the selection controls is used to select whether a corresponding object is designated to be a masking target or designated to be excluded from the masking targets. 
 
     
     
       9. A video processing system for identifying an object from a video of a surveillance target area and performing masking operations based on inputs provided by a user, the video processing system comprising:
 a camera configured to shoot a video for the surveillance target area; 
 a recorder configured to record the video shot by the camera; 
 a processor configured to acquire the video from at least one of the camera and the recorder and perform masking operations; and 
 a display configured to display a masking-processed video generated by the processor, 
 wherein the processor is configured to perform operations, the operations including:
 detecting an object included in the video in such a manner that a type of the object is identifiable; 
 detecting a focusing event which occurs to the object detected by the processor; 
 in response to a first input operation of the user for selecting the type of the object as a masking condition, simultaneously setting all objects of the selected type as masking targets, 
 in response to a second input operation of the user for selecting the focusing event as an unmasking condition, excluding, from the masking targets, one or more objects to which occurrence of the selected focusing event has been detected by the processor; and 
 generating a masking-processed video in which each video area which corresponds to one of the objects, which is set as one of the masking targets and which is not excluded from the masking targets, has been changed to a masking image. 
 
 
     
     
       10. A video processing method for identifying an object from a video of a surveillance target area and performing masking operations based on inputs provided by a user, the video processing method being performed by a processor in a video processing device, the video processing method comprising:
 detecting an object included in the video in such a manner that a type of the object is identifiable; 
 detecting a focusing event which occurs to the object detected by the processor; 
 in response to a first input operation of the user for selecting the type of the object as a masking condition, simultaneously setting all objects of the selected type as masking targets; 
 in response to a second input operation of the user for selecting the focusing event as an unmasking condition, excluding, from the masking targets, one or more objects to which occurrence of the selected focusing event has been detected by the processor; and 
 generating a masking-processed video in which each video area which corresponds to one of the objects, which is set as one of the masking targets and which is not excluded from the masking targets, has been changed to a masking image.